GoI asked to prove its sincerity

Viswema | May 21 (MExN): The NSCN/GPRN today disclosed that it has asked the Government of India to take its hands off the Nagaland-Manipur issue arising out of the NSCN/GPRN general secretary Th. Muivah's proposed visit to his native village Somdal in Ukhrul and let the NSCN deal with the Manipur government in its own way.
"We have told the Government of India if you cannot handle Manipur, leave Manipur to us", emissary to the collective leadership of the NSCN/GPRN, V.S Atem said while addressing the media here this afternoon adding it had asked the Centre to deal with Manipur effectively and not in the manner it is presently handling it. "Even on this kind of small issue, Delhi has not been sincere. It has not been able to deal with Manipur. That's why we were saying if Delhi considers Manipur as part of India, they should deal with Manipur but not in this manner", he said adding "if Delhi is not sincere on this, it cannot be expected to be sincere on bigger issues.
On the staunch stand of the Ibobi government on the issue of Muivah's visit, he commented, "Even God will find it difficult to deal with Ibobi and his government". He also accused Ibobi of indulging in "anti-India" activities, most notably, banning Hindi in the state of Manipur using the name of some underground organizations.
Asked if the NSCN/GPRN and its general secretary Th. Muivah intents to move out of Viswema village and go back to Camp Hebron, Atem asserted, "there is no looking back or going back for us. We can only go forward" while implying that they plan to go ahead with the proposed visit by any means. Acknowledging that it is continuing to have communication with New Delhi, he said the Centre has requested them to have patience on the issue.

He did not comment further.
Reacting to a recent statement issued by envoy to the collective leadership of the GPRN/NSCN, Kughalu Mulatonu, Atem termed it as a statement made by a person who is not in his right mind and demanded that the latter should make his stand clear. Asserting that the present blockade is of the making of the Manipuris themselves, he said Nagas have never been the vindictive type and that they are a patient people. "However, whereas we want to live as good neighbors, it cannot be at the expense of our rights and our land", he said and vowed, "We have never grabbed an inch of others' land and will never part with an inch of our land. We will fight till the finish".
Atem further insisted that it has come to such a stage that the word 'Manipuri(s)' only denote Meiteis and not the tribal people living in the hill sections whom, he said, the 'Manipuris' have "despised, ill-treated and considered as sub-human beings". Citing such an example, he said all apex Manipur organizations are still using the word 'All' before the names of their organizations such as "All Manipur…..) and that in these "All Manipur" organizations, people or organizations from the hill sections are never included. Briefly relating the history of Manipur, he added Manipur valley developed at the expense of the hill people.
Meanwhile, the NSCN/GPRN today expressed frustration that the Government of India is still unable to identify its "friends and enemies", even as it maintained that Nagas never and still do not consider India as an enemy.
Atem explained that whereas for 13 years, Nagas have believed and hoped for an honourable solution, India still fails to understand the Nagas and expressed deep resentment that India still trusts "the Manipuris" more. He also expressed outrage over a section of the national news media portraying the wrong side of the story of the Mao carnage. "One who cannot differentiate friends from enemies can only be a danger", he added.